Sledding and skiing and snowmen, oh my!
Let’s face it, winter in Ontario is not for the faint of heart. We are blessed annually with the white stuff. Whether you consider it a blizzard, corn snow, hoarfrost, lake-effect, packing, powder, sleet, slush, a snowdrift, squall or whiteout, these are just a few terms used in our language to describe different types of snow. (from the Farmers’ Almanac, J. McLeod, January 2024)
We can choose to stay inside and hibernate. Some would rather sit by a roaring fire and sip tea with a good book in their lap. These winters are long, dark and call us to snuggle under a blanket. There is nothing wrong with that.
Then again, you can go outside and play. Some of my favourite sights on the schoolyard after a good fall of packing snow are metre-high snowballs, rolled into a collective group or randomly strewn across the yard when the young “rollers” got tired, or the bell rang to end recess. Children laughing and working together warms my heart any day. Sternly debating the ownership of the snowballs is a story for another day.
“Even the strongest blizzards start with a single snowflake.” — Sara Raasch
My siblings and I often recall the adventures we had on our tobogganing excursions at the back of a neighbouring farm where we grew up. It felt like we walked for hours! Today, the hill we climbed might in fact be much smaller than it felt to walk up. The twist to this particular hill was that there was a creek at the bottom. It was usually frozen but on warmer days, you may encounter open water – but it was an added challenge. You needed to roll off the toboggan just before sliding too far! Unfortunately, those memories happened before the days of pocket recording devices. My recollections will have to paint a picture for you.
Snow is big business. Ski resorts, snowmobile sales and service, trail maintenance and snowplowing seem to be at peak season in January in Canada. Winter tourism benefits from a good fall of snow. Dedicated workers are required to be ready, round the clock, to clear our roads, parking lots and even runways of snow. Despite the fact that they may slow you down on your commute, snowplow drivers are essential and deserve our appreciation. Not to be forgotten, we have to hand it to those hearty men and women who brave the cold on a daily basis for their jobs; farmers, construction workers, mechanics, emergency service people – the list goes on and on. Thank you for what you do for us!
Winters aren’t what they use to be, though. Back when I was a child….
“Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together.” — Vesta Kelly
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